Chain stitch sewing machine with looper throwout



May 18, 1948.

A. B. CLAYTON CHAIN STITCH SEWING MACHINE WITH LOOPER' THROW-OUT Fil ed Dec. 5, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 fnvew az awartw 1i Gag/Z012 fi e r ATTORNEY A. B. CLAYTON May 18, 1948 'CHAIN STITCH SEWING MACHINE WITH LOOPER THROW-OUT Filed Dec. 5, 1946 3 Sheets-sheaf, 2

= m lnvemfaz: BY: B. Cla ton Wzfne Arron/var May 1s, 1.948. A. B. CLAYTON 2, 1 931 CHAIN STITCH SEWING MACHINE .WITH LOOPE IR THROW-OUT Filed Dec. 5, 1945 s She ets-Sheet 3 ffivenioq: andrew B. CZayfon Mira B Arron/vs) 1 Patented -May 18, 1948 UNITED .sr This zghgeei v CHAIN s'rircn SEWING MAGHINEiWITH LoorEn 'rnnowon'r I Andrew B. Clayton, Elizabeth, Nhl, a'ssignorto The Singer .Manufacturing .eflomnanxi Eliza beth, N. J.,;a corporationhf New Jersey Appiication December 5, liiififserial N0."'714,2 15

This invention relates tochain stitch sewing machines and more-particularly to machines of thistype having a plurality of synchronously driven -1oopers that can easily be positioned to facilitate threading.

;,A primary object of the present invention is to provideanimproved-looper throw-out mechanism that willgpermit a sewingmachine operator to move one or -more loopers from their normally inaccessible operating position to anaccessible position -rinwvhich the operator can easily thread them,

=Another object of "the invention is to provide asewing machine having a mecha'nism for synchrononslydriving a -pair of loopers, and at the same time to provide this mechanism with an improved'means whereby the loopers can selectively be moved from a normally inaccessible operating position to-an -accessible threading position. 7 I

A further object of 'the' invention is to provide an improved chain stitch sewing machine having certain -parts advantageouslyarranged-invertically'spaced relationship, comprising a pair I of loopers positioned-directly below an overhanging feed-dog, a loopercarrier-support positioned below the loopers and ;a feedbar positioned below the lcoper-carrier -support. I

' With the above and other-objects in view; as will hereinafter appear, the invention comprises the devices; combinations and arrangements .of

parts hereinafter set forth and illustrated in 'theaccompanying-drawings of a preferredvembodiment or the invention, from which the several features of theinvention and-the advantages attained thereby will be readilyunderstocd-by those skilled in the art. 7

' "-In the accompanying drawings:

1 is a vertical, longitudinal sectional :view diapertion of achain stitch sewing machine-embodying the'invention;

#Fig. 2 is --a left end fragmentary view of the sewing machine-shown in Fig. 1; I I

Fig. -3 is a bottom plan view of I the-sewing machine' shown in Figs.land 2; I

-*F'igfii is-a=view pa'rtly in elevation and partly in cross section, the elevational portion being taken on the line '4-4, and the sectional portion being-taken on the-line 4 4 of Fig. 5;

Fig; 5 :is -a fragmentary--elevational view taken substantially along the line-5-- 5 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view taken substantially along the'line 6-.-6of'Fig. 1.

Eor-..' purposes of illustration, the invention is shown as appliedtoasewing machine having an .Ciitii'llS. (hula-200) operating mechanism of .the same general construction :as that -disclosed .in :my "UnitedQStateS Patent No. 2,345;327,-dated March128,.r194. However only as much :of the machine ;is herein shown and describedias is essential-to anunderstanding of'thepresent invention.

The sealing machine wcomprises va work supporting me -o iate 40 carried b .a table top :..(not shown). Supported :from the lower :facesof :the bed-plate are a-iplura'lity iof mechanisms, 1 later .:to be described. "These mechanisms are enclosedzby a base-housing, .not herein shown, but which is well known in the=art.

The sewing machine .imechanism :comprises a rotary 7 drive shaft .ll incorporating .a crank 2L2 and' anieccentric [3 .by :which, respectively, the requisiterendwise :reciprocatory ;or :loop-seizing and @shedding movements and 'rihratory or vsocalled.v needle Iavoiding movements :are imparted to 7a .pair .of loopers v -.l 4 and .145. Each :looper ;-is mounted on its nwnzlooper-Qarrier I16 and 1 ,6? and the looperecarriers, in turn, are supported on -.a flower-carried: support 45, the latter j'being morejully described hereinafter.

As previously :indicated,i ,endwise ,reciprocatory movementisimparted to; the loopers by the crank 12, which controls ;this movement 1 of the loopers throughthemedium ofza pitman l'l rock arms l8 and l9 journaled 5011 1a stud :21 and through a1link 22 connecting the rocker arm'. [9 with :the looper-carrier :Hi. The-second loopen-carrier i6 is connected to'th e first loopercarrier l-B :bva linkzzii, thereby causing the two looper-carriers to rock in tunisoneand their loopers 1 4, M to; re-

prs catein sy fihronis 'T' G SldBWiSGtOI laterally vibrating ovements of the loopers are effected through the medium of an eccentric-actuated -;fqrl 1-24 and cg, tubular rock shaft .526 the, latter extending glongitudin-kll y of the :bed-plate' Ill -.and being j ournaledin bushings 12-7, ,218 gfitted I within -a bearing support -29. Thesupport; 529 formsapart of; abraclgetv 3| depending from the underside of the sbed plate all] and ,thus the support :29 carries-the rock shaftrzfi, the left end ofiwhich,as viewed in-Eig. 1, sup- Ports. a :loop r rthrow-putd i -d signatedgen+ orally iby the numeral- :32, and the I looper throwout device carries the glooper+carrier support 115, hereinbeforementioned. I I I I frhe'ilooner thrQW-outI device-S'Z- (Fig. A) includes ,a :pair of face abutting disks-1 or plate g 33 andfi l, :the disk ibeing ;formed:as .an inte ral partlof and therefore .rockable with zone; .end of'ithe horizontally;:disposedtlooper;rocksshaft #6. Thisidisk- 33:is'.provided1with aconcentric recess 3 36 slightly smaller in diameter than the bore of the tubular rock shaft 26, for accommodating a pilot pin 3'! protruding concentrically from the disk 34. The disk 34, and the looper-carrier support I5, carried thereby, are mounted for limited angular movement with respect to the disk 33 and thus the disk 34 and the support I5 can be swung beyond the normal rocking movement afforded them by the disk 33 and the rock shaft 26. The disks 33 and 34 (Figs, 1, 5 and 6) are held in face abutting relationship by three axially disposed bolts 49 which pass through arcuately' slotted holes 38 provided in the disk 34. Thereafter, the bolts pass through threaded holes 39 (Fig. 1) in the disk 33, and a nut 4| is screwed to the protruding end of each bolt, thereby providing a means for positioning the bolts so that their heads are spaced a, clearance distance from the face of the disk 34. The outer face of the disk 34 is partly cut away as-at 42, (Fig. 5), thereby providing a clearance sufficient for operation of the looper support I6. A latch bar 43, which is longitudinally slotted as at 44 to allow the pilot pin 31 to pass therethrough, slides in a vertically extending diametrical channel 46 provided in the inner face of the disk .33. The upper end of the bar -43 carries a horizontally projecting tapered latch-lug 41, that is positioned to engage or be released from a complemental tapered recess .48 formed in the upper periphery of the disk 34. The lower end of the latch bar 43 is in the form of an inverted T (see Fig. 1), one arm 59 of which carries a stem 49 having a bore 5I accommodating a coiledcompression spring 52 .for downwardly biasing the latch bar 43 and thereby causing the tapered lug 41 to enter the tapered recess 48. The spring 52 is retained inthe bore 5| by a screw 53 threaded into the lower end thereof. Positioned for engagement with the under side of another arm 54 (Fig. 1) of the inverted T-shaped member, is one end of an arm56, the other-end of which, by means of set screws 51, is secured to a shaft 58. The shaft 58' is pivotally supported in a bifurcated bracket 59 depending'from the bearing support 29. A spring 6| surrounds the shaft 58 and, by means of a spring end 62 thereof, downwardly biases the arm 56 away from contact'with-the arm 54 of the latchbar 43. The clearance providedbetween the arm 54 and the end of the arm 56 allows the arm 54 to move in response to the eccentric l3 during thenormal rocking of the shaft 26. Theshaft 58 projects beyond the bracket 59 and has secured to it by means of set screws 62, the lower end of an operating lever 63. The upper end of the lever 63 is provided with a finger pad 64, which can easily be reached by the sewing machine operator when the cover-plate 660i the sewing machine isremoved. 'An intermediate part of the lever 63 abuts against the overhanging head of a stopscrew 61 carried by the bracket 59, thereby limiting the downward movement of arm 56 away from the arm 54. r I r r The looper-carrier support I5, which is in the former a rectangular frame (Fig. 3) is rockable about an axis that is an extension of the axis of the shaft 26 and the support is fashioned from a pair of spaced cylindrical members 68 and '68 joined by a pair of spaced cylindroidbars H and 12, the latter being positioned horizontally and extending longitudinally of the bed-plate II). J ournaled in each of the cylindrical members 68 and 68' are hollow fulcrum rock pins 13 and 13, eXtending perpendicular to the bars Ila-l2 and to the shaft 26, and to the front end of each of the 4 pins is clamped the lower end of one of the sub stantially vertically disposed looper-carriers. The looper-carriers I6 and I6 are rockable with the pins 13 and I3 and are each provided with a hole for accommodating pivot-screws 18 which support link 23 in proper operating position. The upper end of the looper-carrier I6 (Fig. 1), by means of a bore TI and screw I8, supports the conventional looper I4 having a thread groove 19'. The upper end of the looper-carrier I6 is provided with a horizontally protruding ball BI that is encompassed by a split socket 82 adjustably held onto the end of the link 22, and the upper end of the looper-carrier I6 is additionally provided with an offset portion 83 arranged to support a second conventional looper [4, having a thread groove 19 V The mechanism, herein shown, also provides a four-motion lower feed mechanism (Figs. 2 and 3) comprising a feed-bar 84, one bifurcated end of which is connected, by means of pivot pins 86, to the upper end of a feed rocker 8-1 this in turn being carried by a feed-drive rock shaft 88. From the pin 86 the feed bar extends forward horizontally to a point at whichis-supported the rear stem of a forwardly overhanging feed dog 89. The feed dog is adjustablyheld inposition by a screw 9| passingthrough a slotted hole 92. From the point of supporting the feed'dog 89, an arm of the feed-bar extends downwardly and then horizontally forward below the hereinbefore described looper-carrier support I5; the loopercarrier support being spaced belowtheforwardly overhanging portion of the feed-dog'89. The forward end of the feed-bar 84-is connected (Fig. 2) through the medium of a pivot-pin 93, a vertically disposed link 94, and a second pivot-pin 96 to a, rock arm 91 carried by the-fee d-lift rock shaft 98. The means, for operating the above described feed-drive and feed-lift rock shafts,-are conventional and therefore require no detailed description or illustration. v V 7 Each of the inclined needles'99 and 99 (Figs. 1 and 2) carried by the inclined needle bar I80, are guided at theend of: their downward stroke by a pair of adjustablymounted needle guides ID'I a-nd'llll'. These needle "guides formino part of the present invention but are the subject of a copending patent appl cation, Serial No. 718,705 filed December 27, 1946,, therefore, suffice it to say, each needle guide is adjustably mounted for vertical and horizontal adjustment on a horizontally disposed support bar I82. The right end of this bar, as seen in Fig. 1, is supported from an upwardly extending arm I03 of a clamping ring I04 that is adjustably held to the external surface of the bearing support 29 by a bolt I86.

Figs, 1 and 2 show that parts of the mechanism are compactly and advantageously placed by having the two loopers I4 and I4', during their normal operation, positioned directly below the overhanging portion 89 of the feededog 89. Also the looper-carrier supportjfi is directly below'the loopers and ,a horizontal portion of the feed-bar 84 is directlybelow the looper-carrier support. The feed-bar 84- re'ceive advancing and lift. motions from the rock shafts 88 and 98, that are located on opposite sides of the loopers and the looper-carrier-support; and due to the position of the saidfeed-bar, thelooper-carrier support is 'afiorded suiiicient spacerfor its requisite movements. 1 "1 j In orderfor the loopers I4 and [4" to cooperate with the needles 99 and 99 to produce proper stitchingythe loopers mustbe located-below the overhanging portion 89 of the: feed-dog- 89 and throat-plate I01 and when in this positionthey are' difiicult; if not impossible; -I-o'ran operator tofiil iread' an operator; using -the mechan'lsm ci tliisinventiori, wishes to thread' the looper-s; he-removesthe cover---p la-te-66 and presses thefinger pad 64- of operating lever '63. This moves the lever to the dotted position shown-in Fig {l an'd causes the'end -ofthe armB'S- to engage' thearm dR- of the inverted T Shaped bar. Eurtherflmovement' of lever 63" compresses the latch spr-ing 5'2, moves the l-at'chbar 43 upwardly and disengages the latch-lug 41 from-the ta-pe'red recess 48.- This unlatches the disk 34 from disk 33, and allows. the operator to swing the loopers M and M to' an accessible position. Fig. 6 depict r this movement. for-looper: l4; looper-carrier l6, looper-carrier support 15, and the disk 34; When the. loopers. are swung back into operative position, the seating of the latch-lug 41 in the disk-recess 48 insures that the loopers are1properly positioned. to pericrmiheir functions.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:

1. In a chain stitch sewing machine having a looper normally in a position inaccessible to the operator and having a rock shaft and a reciprocating rod for operating said looper; a first disk mounted on an end of said rock shaft, a, second disk adjustably and concentrically held to said first disk; a latch member carried by one of said disks and releasably engaging the other disk, means for unlatching said latch member, and means carried by said second disk for supporting said looper,

2. In a chain stitch sewing machine having a looper normally in a position inaccessible to the operator and having means for imparting endwise reciprocatory and sidewise vibratory movements to said looper; a disk carried by one of said means for imparting movement to said looper, a second disk'pivoted on said first disk, a latch normally biased to hold said disks together as a unit, means for releasing said latch, and means carried by said second disk for supporting said looper.

3. In a chain stitch sewing machine having a looper normally in a position inaccessible to the operator and having a rock shaft and a reciprocating rod for operating said looper; a disk mounted on an end of said rock shaft and havin a diametrical channel and a concentric recess, a complemental disk having a tapered recess and being formed with a concentric pilot pin the latter being arranged to enter said concentric recess, a latch bar slidably mounted in said diametrical channel and having a tapered latch lug arranged to enter said tapered recess, a spring carried by said latch bar and arranged to bias said latch into said recess, means normally spaced from said latch-bar for compressing said spring and unlatching said latch, and means carried by said complemental disk for supporting said looper.

4. In a sewing machine having a looper, a looper throw-out mechanism for supporting said looper comprising a pair of complemental members, means for latching one of said members to the other member whereby the two members can be caused to move in unison, and means normally spaced from said members and said means for unlatching said latching means and thereby permitting relative movement of one member with respect to the other member.

' In a chain stitchsewing machine having a lboper; a looper throw-out-mechanismfor suppermg "said looper comprising a -pair of com-'- pleinen-tal membersg a latch barcarri'ed by one of said members and arranged toengage the other member, a lever 'arm normally spaced fromsa-i-di'l'atchbar, and meansfor moving said lever arm into contactwi'th said latchbar and therebyreleasingsaid latch; I

6i In a-chain stitch sewing machine having a looper; a'looper throw-out mechanism for supporting said looper comprising" a pair f p p es mental members, a latch bar carried by nefof said" members andarranfged to engage the" other membena'leverarmior operating said latohbar; a spring "for bi'asirig said lever away from con-- tact with said latch bar, and an operating lever h'aYill'g'aT fingerpadnccessibleto theioperator. ,7; A chain stitch" sewing machine comprising a'rock shaftja' first; disk carried on" theiend of said. rock" shaft, a second. disk supported from said first disk, a latching means for latching said two disks one to the other, a looper-carrier support carried by said second disk, a plurality of looper-carriers supported by said looper-carrier support, a looper on each of said looper-carriers, a connecting means for joining said looper-carriers at a point other than said looper-carrier support, and means for releasing said latching means, whereby said plurality of loopers can be moved to a point accessible for threading.

8. A chain stitch sewing machine comprising an overhanging feed-dog; a plurality of loopers operatively positioned directly below the overhanging portion Of said feed-dog; a looper-carrier support positioned directly below said loopers; a feed-drive rock shaft located on one side of said feed-dog, said plurality of loopers, and said looper-carrier support; a feed-lift rock shaft located on the other side of said feed-dog, said plurality of loopers, and said looper-carrier sup port; and a feed-bar driven from said two rock shafts and arranged to support said feed-dog and having a portion positioned directly below said looper-carrier support, said loopers, and said overhanging portion of said feed-dog.

9. In a looper mechanism for chain-stitch sewing machines having a looper-carrier support, a plurality of looper-carriers pivotally mounted upon said support, loopers carried by said loopercarriers, means for rocking said looper-carriers for imparting endwise movements to said loopers, and operative connections for rocking said loopercarrier support for imparting sidewise movements to said loopers, the improvement which consists in the provision in said operative connections of releasable latch means providing for swinging said support beyond its normal range of operative movement, thereby to position said loopers for convenient threading.

10. In a chain-stitch sewing machine, a loopercarrier support means having a portion pivoted about an axis, a looper-carrier mounted on said looper-carrier support on a second axis which is perpendicular to said first axis, a looper carried by said looper-carrier, means for imparting loop seizing movements to said looper, and a releasable latch mechanism formed as a part of said support means and providing means for swinging said looper about said first axis to a position convenient for threading.

11. A looper-carrier support means in accordance with the preceding claim in which the releasable latch mechanism includes a pair of face abutting disks.

12. In a chain-stitch sewing machine, a loopercarrier support means having a portion pivoted about an axis, a plurality of looper-carriers mounted on said looper-carrier support on a plurality of second axes which are perpendicular to said first axis, a plurality of loopers at least one beingcarried by each of said looper-carriers, means for imparting loop-seizing movements to said loopers, and a releasable latch mechanism formed as a part of said support means and providing means for swinging said loopers about said first axis to a position convenient for threading.

13.. A looper-carrier support means in accordance with the preceding claim in which the releasable latch mechanism includes a pair of face abutting disks.

14. A looper-carrier support means in accord ance with the second preceding claim in which the releasable latch mechanism includes a pair of face abutting disks one having a diametrical channel for accommodating-a latch bar, and the REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES v PATENTS Name Date Kucera Sept. 5, 1939 Number 

